The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

The party is over; the guests have gone. Now, who is going to clean up? If the party host isn’t able to do it and didn’t specifically appoint someone, it may not get done, since everyone thinks it is someone else’s responsibility, so no one does it. If your party will be held at a facility that provides clean-up services, you are fortunate, though you will still need to do a few things. Many facilities require the renter to pay a cleaning deposit. The party host will forfeit the deposit if the venue isn’t cleaned properly and in a timely manner. (Deciding to come back “in the morning” to clean up may not be an option if the venue is rented the next day.) To insure that you get your deposit back, several days before the party ask someone to be in charge of clean-up activities or to assist the host in cleaning up. Don’t leave the host by her/himself to do it all, particularly late at night. Many hands can make the work go quickly. If the host needs to ask someone to superv...

Congratulations to ID Rocky Mountain Ranch in Stanley, which was mentioned in the most recent edition of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine as a destination wedding location. You can find the article at www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/west-coast-reception-locations#slide_5 . If you are seeking a memorable mountain location for your wedding, family reunion or another event for up to 50 guests, be sure to check out the Ranch. Their staff can help with many of your event needs, from catering to lodging. The 1,000 acre ranch, established in 1930, is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The main lodge and many of the guest cabins are original and offer fantastic views of the Sawtooth Mountains.

Most events include transportation of some type, some of it necessary and other times just for fun. We are fortunate to have a variety of transportion options in this area. If you are having a large event and need to transport attendees, you might reserve a shuttle bus. If you are having a business meeting with out-of-town attendees, you might rent a town car or a van or even a limo if you want to transport people in style.  If your event requires a large number of people to be transported more than a few miles, you can rent a full-sized passenger bus, complete with air conditioning and reclining seats and possibly a restroom. These buses are perfect for taking guests to an out-of-town event, such as one in McCall. We will be using several buses this summer to transport guests around the Caldwell area and to Banks for whitewater rafting. Limos are used extensively to transport wedding parties and for proms and quinceaneras. You might also rent one for mom and dad's an...

Today, in our technology oriented society, if you have a smartphone, an iPad or an iPod, you have access to apps for just about everything, including ones to help you plan your next event. Using an app can't replace the services provided by an event planner, but they may help you stay organized and on-target financially. The " Event Planning Tools " app by Party Aficionado, an event management firm, can help narrow down  venue choices. It also includes an event budget calculator. Available for Andriod phones for a small fee. If you are planning a wedding, you may want to check out "Brides Wedding Genius" offered by Brides magazine for free to users of Apple devices. The app contains content from the magazine's advertisers, including a wide array of gowns, bridesmaids' dresses and jewelry options. Users can create a folder to store their favorites, as well as photos from other sources. For $3, Task Tracker , a planning calendar and task reminder, can ...

Turning 16 is a big deal for many teen-agers, especially girls. They want to celebrate in style with their friends; however, it is easy for the planning and costs to get out of hand if mom and dad don't set, and enforce, limits. The following suggestions will help you plan a fun party while keeping the bank account in tact. Set a budget. Decide how much you can spend and how flexible you are willing to be. It is never a good idea to go into debt for a party. If you can afford only a family dinner with extended family and perhaps a few friends or a pajama party for a group of girls, that is fine. Don't let your teen talk you into more than you can handle. Consider co-hosting the party with the parents of another teen who is also turning 16. By sharing expenses, you may be able to do more for the kids. This is particularly appropriate if the two teens have the same group of friends. Consider the budgets of the young people who will be invited. Having a formal ...

Seventy-two hours before her wedding a New Zealand bride was sitting at her desk at work in Christchurch, New Zealand when last week's earthquake occurred. The office tower was destroyed and she was trapped on her back in a small space between collasped floors. Finding that her cell phone still worked, she texted her fiance, who worked across the city, to let him know she was alive but buried in the debris. Her fiance rushed to the scene and assisted rescue workers as they dug through the wreckage, helping free other people as they sought to find the bride. During the six hours leading up to her rescue, the couple continued to text. The groom was able to keep her calm and provide updates on the progress of her rescue. The bride suffered no injuries in her ordeal and the wedding occurred on time and nearly as planned. The groomsmen lost their suits in the earthquake and the bakery providing the cake was destroyed, but the church and reception center were undamaged. At ...

Have you received a recent invitation containing the phrase "no boxed gifts?"  Did you wonder what they mean - give only "soft" gifts, like linens, not boxed items like toasters? In reality, this is the latest attempt to solicit money as a gift without coming right out and asking for it, which would be a major breach of etiquette. In some Eastern cultures, such as Pakistani or Indian, this term has been traditionally used to indicate a preference for money, not actual gifts. As frequently happens, those in our Western world have adopted the wording and applied it to their own events. Occasionally, the term is legitimately used, particularly when it refers to someone who may need to ship or transport gifts after a wedding or another party and who cannot take large, bulky items. In that case, giving smaller, "soft," easily packed items is reasonable. However, it shouldn't be printed on the invitation. From an etiquette perspective, gifts shouldn'...

If you have planned an event in the last few years and asked invitees to RSVP, you may have encounted resistance, or, worse yet, people who RSVPed they were coming, but didn't show, leaving you with possibly hundreds of dollars in wasted food. The trend seems to be getting worse with each passing year. RSVP is French for "Respond, please." It means just that. Invitees need to respond even if they do not plan to attend. Those planning the event need to know how much food to order, how many tables and chairs to rent, how many servers to engage and other issues. Invitations include response cards or a phone number or e-mail for a reason. If guests fail to respond to an invitation to a social event, the hosts may have to spend hours making phone calls. If it is a business event and you fail to respond, you won't be tracked down. Rather, you will be embarrassed when you arrive and are not expected. In years past, people failed to respond but still came to the eve...

The Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) will celebrate 25 years of serving Idaho small businesses with a luncheon and small business awards ceremony on February 1st. Lt. Governor Brad Little will speak. Six idaho businesses that used the help of their local SBDC to take their business to the next level will be honored. Small Business Development Centers are located at colleges and universities around the nation. The six Idaho centers are located at Boise State University in Boise, North Idaho College in Post Falls, Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho State University in Pocatello and at ISU's Idaho Falls campus. Through the years the ISBDC has been instrumental in helping hundreds of businesses throughout Idaho. Some have gone on to become well-established chains, such as Smoky Mountain Pizza. Many have used the expert advice they received to better serve their customers and to create new jobs. If you need help wi...

Have you spent time on the Internet searching for resources for your reunion, party, wedding, or another event and then found your e-mail in-box filled with spam from companies offering you everything from the perfect location to the perfect dress to sunglasses for your outdoor event? If so, you are the victim of behavioral target marketing.  Behavioral advertising – the practice of tracking someone’s online activities to deliver targeted advertising – can raise potential privacy issues. When you visit commercial web sites, those sites may place a "cookie" on your computer. A "cookie" is a small bit of information placed on your computer's hard drive that can later be read back by the business who placed it there. This is useful because the browser "remembers" bits of specific information, such as your choices when filling out a form or survey. Some cookies are temporary; others are permanent and you must remove them from your computer when you delet...

The 32nd annual Wedding Party Show was this weekend. Over 1,150 brides came through along with grooms, parents, friends and others. In total, nearly 5,000 people attended. The show provided an opportunity for brides to connect with over 100 vendors who can provide the services needed for the perfect wedding. We had the opportunity to discuss locations, decor and other ideas with many of the attendees, including a group of high school students who are planning their prom. We were impressed with the vendors who reached out to the girls, offering discounts to their small school and one who offered to give a discount on tuxedos and donate a portion of each tux rental back to the school. Merchants like that make our community a great place to live. It is going to be a great year for weddings in southern Idaho!

Wish Upon a Wedding is a unique non-profit organization that plans weddings at no cost for a bride or groom suffering from a terminal illness or another life-altering situation. Started in California in January 2010, the organization is only a year old, but already boasts 16 chapters around the country with 14 more scheduled for 2011. In 2010 they planned 13 weddings in locations ranging from Chicago to Houston to California. Weddings are limited to 50 guests and must occur within 300 miles of a chapter location. WUW can arrange for the bride's gown, groom's attire, photography, venue, catering, music, cake and more. They do not secure clothing for members of the wedding party, alcoholic beverages, and other services that may not directly affect the bride or groom or that may not be available in the wedding location. What they can provide is special memories for the bride and groom and their guests. If you know someone who is seriously ill and would like to ...

Reunions are big business and a great way to stay connected with extended family, former classmates, and others. According to Reunions magazine, approximately 350,000 reunions occur each year. The largest share, about 200,000, are family reunions. Class reunions account for over 100,000 with military and other types of reunions, such as fraternity, sorority, or those devoted to a hobby or sport making up the balance. The average attendance per reunion is 50. Having a reunion tends to be recession-proof, but the decisions involved may be scaled back to accommodate the budgets of the majority of attendees. According to the Washington Travel Industry Association, over 1 million adults and children living in Washington attend a family reunion each year, many of which are held in city parks. Parks are affordable and tend to offer a variety of activities, from museums, zoos and play grounds to baseball diamonds and tennis courts. As you begin planning your reunio...

When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in October he created a marketing frenzy that is having a huge impact on the British economy. Designers and manufacturers of commerative items are rushing to get their merchandise into stores before the April 29 wedding. Travel agents, airlines, car rentals, hotels and restaurants are all gearing up for the influx of royal guests and celebrity watchers. Media sales are booming, everything from newspapers and magazines to DVDs. All want those exclusive interviews and photos that lead to increased revenue. The bride-to-be has become a fashion icon to be emulated, like her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. Copies of the dresses and gowns she wears fly off the racks. Discounted copies are even bigger sellers. Even Kate Middleton's parents are benefitting. Sales at the mail order business they own, Party Pieces ( www. partypieces .co.uk ) , have increased dramatically in recent months. Now, if we had an American equivalent of a royal...

Hosting a holiday party for your employees, and possibly their spouses and families, can be a nice way to say thank you for their commitment to the success of your business. Recently, the economy has caused many businesses to rethink the way they entertain, possibly cutting back on the type of party, who is invited, and where it is held. A couple of years ago I began receiving calls from businesses wanting only limited help, such as finding an inexpensive location where they could provide their own food and play their own music. In years past, those businesses would have held their party at a restaurant or hotel. They would have engaged an event planner to make the arrangements, assist with decor, and to be on site during the party. Now, they prefer to pay the event planner for limited assistance and often choose not to have the planner on site during the party. They are having a caterer drop off food, ordering pizza or purchasing deli trays. Music is often provide...

If you think combining households is difficult when a couple marries, consider combining insurance plans. Will you use her car insurance company, his company, or choose a new one? Whose homeowners or renters policy will you keep and whose will go? Will you add him to your health insurance; will he add you to his, or will each of you keep your own insurance? How about dental insurance? Vision insurance? Life insurance? If either of you has children, the decisions become more complicated. Fortunately, the Idaho Department of Insurance has the answers. The agency has published an article, " Combining Insurance ," that will help you through the maze and enable you to make the best decisions for your particular situation. You can find the article at http://www.doi.idaho.gov/ConsumerAlerts/combining%20insurance2.pdf

I recently returned from Scotland where I had the opportunity to learn about and experience events Scottish style. Want to get married in a castle, abbey or palace? The Scottish government through its Historic Scotland department, maintains most of the publicly owned historic buildings and they will be happy to accommodate your wishes at one of fourteen sites. Some of the castles, such as Campbell Castle in Dollar (pictured to the right), are ruins. Your event will need to be held outside, either on the hillside in front of the castle or in the center courtyard, which is large and grass-covered. Others, such as Edinburgh Castle, have been restored to their former glory and you can hold your event in one of several rooms open to the public. To find just the right venue, the Scottish government maintains a web site devoted exclusively to rentals at http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/hire/corpevents.htm You can also hold an event at the ruins of...

When the fiance of a Chicago-area bride got cold feet and cancelled the wedding six days before it was to occur, the bride knew she would lose all the money that had been spent planning the perfect party. Rather than allow that to happen, she moved the party to a large retirement complex. Over 300 residents enjoyed the Halloween-themed food and centerpieces and the DJ played the night away. The bride knew no one at the home before the party. Now, she has 300 new friends. Though she lost the money she had paid to the original wedding facility, her generousity blessed many grateful people.

This past weekend I coordinated two weddings. The first was paid for by the two sets of parents with a small amount contributed by the couple. The second was paid for entirely by the couple. According to a survey conducted by http://www.getmarried.com/ , 92 percent of couples today help pay for some or all of their wedding expenses. As the economy continues to lag, couples are rethinking their choices and watching every penny. Nationally, wedding expenditures dropped approximately 10 percent between 2008 and 2009 and that trend may continue. As couples consider what is important to them and what they can live without or compromise on, some are  turning to used items. A gently used gown may be a consideration or used centerpiece items. Men are increasingly choosing to wear suits they own rather than renting a tux. Couples are looking for the best deals in locations. Fewer are hiring bands or even DJs, choosing instead to create their own music on an iPod or lap...

After parties have been around for years. Some are planned events occuring after a major event; others are spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment get-togethers. After parties often occur after proms and similar events, when parents host a late night get together for their child and his or her friends. As the economy continues to make people more budget conscious, we are seeing more pre-planned parties occuring after larger weddings. Depending on circumstances, the bride and groom may feel the necessity to invite a large number of work associates, students, class mates, members of an organization or club, or their church congregation to their wedding. From an etiquette perspective, they are expected to entertain those guests, though it doesn't need to be elaborate or last several hours. Therefore, couples are choosing to have a simple reception after the ceremony (often cake and punch) followed by a much smaller after party for close family and friends. Doing so stretches limited bu...